The Dubai Ministry of Information and Culture has destroyed a quantity of counterfeit and illegally copied software CDs, which were seized during its campaigns to stop piracy and the violation of software copyrights. A number of computers loaded with counterfeit software were also destroyed, as part of the effort to implement the copyright and intellectual property law.

The Director of the Censorship department in, Juma Al-Leem, said that investigations of smuggled, counterfeit and illegally copied goods are ongoing to protect right holders and to implement the law that organizes all dealings related to copyrighted material and intellectual property, and which prohibits all forms of infringement and counterfeiting.

Copyright protection is considered a major factor in economic development, as it encourages investment in all sectors, especially where communications and technology are concerned. Many international treaties have been signed, one of the most important being the TRIPS agreement, which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ratified.

The Business Software Alliance is an international organization representing software and e-commerce developers in 65 countries around the world. Established in 1988, BSA has offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. — (menareport.com)